As per reports, the Central government has informed the Delhi High Court that it has directed all the states and union territories to make sure strict compliance with the national directives for COVID 19 management. It further asked to take necessary measures under the Disaster Management Act.
The center affirmed that the order was issued to them to consider the implementation of targeted and prompt actions for COVID 19 management till July 31.
Furthermore, the center notified that as the reopening of activities were essential following a decrease in COVID 19 cases, the states and union territories should ensure that ‘whole process is carefully calibrated.’
The statement was made in regard to a status record filed by the center through its standing counsel Anil Soni in the high court’s Suo moto proceedings on the grounds of violation of COVID 19 protocols in several markets in Delhi.
The Center have handed in the national directives for COVID 19 management that requires face coverings, social distancing, not spitting in Public, staggering of work/business, work from home, frequent sanitization along with screening and hygiene.
The report states, “MHA also directed state/union territories that National Directives for COVID 19 Management shall continue to be strictly followed throughout the country.”
The center clarified that the decision to impose or ease restrictions has to be considered through assessment of the ground situation. Moreover, it emphasized that the states and the union territories must continuously check that their is ‘continuous focus on containment efforts’ and ‘uniformity in implementing graded restriction or relaxations.’
A framework laid down by the center as informed by the High Court, highlights ‘five fold strategy for effective management of COVID 19’. This appropriate management involves test, track, treat, vaccinate and adherence to COVID appropriate behavior.
In addition, the framework suggests, ‘COVID 19 management can succeed only through a whole of government and whole of society approach.’
The center pointed out that a letter was addressed to the chief secretaries of every states along with administrators of the Union Territories. The letter underlined effective management of COVID 19 by maintaining advisories issued by the home and health ministries.
In the last month, a vaccination bench of high court had introduced a PIL, concerning certain photographs sent to a high court judge on WhatsApp by an AIIMS doctor portraying scant regard for COVID 19 protocols by street vendors in the markets.
The Court underscored that these breaches would only hasten the assumed third wave of COVID 19 which cannot be allowed at all.
The high court warned that if flouting of COVID 19 norms continues, ‘we will be in great trouble’. Further, it expressed that the memory of the second wave of COVID 19 is yet fresh.